The City of Raleigh (COR) Museum is located in the heart of Downtown Raleigh in the historic Briggs Hardware building. Our exhibits and programs reveal the rich history of North Carolina’s capital city. We look forward to your visit!

About

For more than 200 years, North Carolina’s capital city had no repository for its historical artifacts, no place to preserve its past, and no institution to educate its citizens and visitors. That all changed in 1993 when the COR Museum (formerly Raleigh City Museum) debuted its first exhibit.

The COR Museum grew out of the dream of local historian Beth Crabtree, and after Beth’s death, the vision and perseverance of Mary Cates, and countless dedicated volunteers. The museum operated as a nonprofit until July 2012, when the City of Raleigh assumed operational control. While the City remains in charge of the museum, it is also supported by the nonprofit Friends of the COR Museum.

As part of its mission to “Preserve Raleigh’s Past for the Future,” the museum collects and cares for artifacts, curates exhibits, and provides educational programming that all highlight and interpret Raleigh’s history and heritage.

The COR Museum is an integral part of the community for the services it provides to the general public. As the state capital and as its own municipality, Raleigh has a unique history that is worth recognizing and sharing.

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Gift Shop

The City of Raleigh Museum Store features a selection of unique Raleigh gift items along with a wonderful selection of local artisans. From postcards and refrigerator magnets, to T-shirts, coffee mugs and local history books, make the Museum Store your destination for Raleigh-related items. See more.

Museum Rental

Located in the 1874 Briggs Building in historic downtown Raleigh, the COR Museum’s lobby, first floor main gallery, and lower level classroom are available to rent for functions such as weddings, rehearsal dinners, quinceañeras, buffet receptions, fundraisers, seminars, and workshops. Find out more.

Current Exhibits

Here’s what we currently have running at the museum. For a list of past exhibits, go here.